Lidl, Maynooth

The project follows the purest definition of net zero carbon by providing all operational energy use (including end user energy) from on-site renewable sources. The embodied energy within the materials used to construct the building will also be recovered from renewable sources. In addition, the renewable sources used must create zero on site pollution, which means that solutions such as biofuel are not considered acceptable solutions. BDP worked with Lidl to fully understand the operation of existing stores and develop a plan on how the energy demand could be dramatically reduced to minimise the renewable energy sources required.

The project also involved creating a whole life cycle model of the building so that the embodied carbon impact of material selection could be considered and minimised. We studied the embodied energy content of a typical store and provided advise on modifications that could be made to reduce it further. The resulting design contains an embodied energy content that is less than the 2030 RIBA target for embodied energy of this building type. Lidl set environmental requirements for all its stores that notably exceed the requirements of legislation. This environmental consideration extends to construction material selection, and all new stores are already constructed from materials that are selected for their low embodied energy content. The building is set to stand as a future-proofed model that is likely to outperform the requirements of mandatory building standards for several decades.